Germany recorded a total of 8,998,200 students attending approximately 32,800 general-education schools during the 2025/2026 school year, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office, known as Destatis. This group accounted for nearly 80% of all students in the country. An additional 2,258,000 students attended roughly 8,300 vocational schools across Germany.
At general-education institutions, 84% of the student population, numbering 7,529,500 individuals, held German citizenship, while 16%, or 1,468,700 students, did not possess German nationality. Public institutions accommodated approximately 91%, or 8,179,300 students, whereas private schools enrolled 9%, representing 818,800 students. The proportion of foreign students was notably lower in private establishments compared to public ones. Public general-education schools taught 83%, or 6,770,600 German nationals and 17%, or 1,408,700 foreign nationals. In contrast, private schools reported that around 7%, or 60,000 students, held non-German nationalities.
Within vocational schools, 81%, or 1,827,600 pupils, held German citizenship, while 19%, equaling 430,100 individuals, possessed exclusively foreign citizenship. Public vocational facilities received around 2,023,700 students, equating to roughly 90%, and private vocational schools accounted for approximately 234,300 students, or about 10% of the total vocational enrollment.
New enrollments for the 2025/2026 academic year totaled 811,200 children entering the first grade. This represented a decrease of about 2% compared to the prior year's figure of 829,700. The vast majority of these enrollments, specifically 91% or 735,500 children, proceeded on schedule, meaning the pupils reached six years of age by the designated cutoff date of the enrollment year. Conversely, 7%, or 53,200 enrollments, occurred at a delayed date, and nearly 3%, or 22,400 children, started school ahead of schedule.
During the 2025 graduation period, a total of 769,000 students left general-education schools. Among them, 228,700 students earned the general higher education entrance qualification, known as the Abitur. Additionally, 770 individuals finished school with the specialized higher education entrance qualification. Intermediate school leaving certificates were attained by approximately 339,800 graduates, while 134,800 individuals left with a first school-leaving certificate. Furthermore, 64,900 students departed general-education schools without a first school-leaving certificate, a group that included roughly 26,100 individuals with a special-needs education certificate.
The data highlighted substantial variations in the proportion of non-German citizens across different graduation levels. While students lacking German citizenship accounted for only 5% of graduates who earned the general higher education entrance qualification, they represented 13% of those with an intermediate school certificate and 25% of those with a first school certificate. Among individuals leaving school without any first certificate, 35% held exclusively foreign citizenship.
Staffing data for the 2025/2026 period showed that roughly 760,300 teachers worked at general-education schools, with women forming the overwhelming majority at 73%, or 556,800 educators. The share of female teachers fluctuated considerably depending on the school type, registering between 86% and 93% in school kindergartens, primary schools, and preparatory classes. Conversely, evening schools and specialized colleges reported the highest proportions of male teachers, ranging from 42% to 44%. Approximately 56% of teachers at general-education schools worked full-time, whereas 44% held part-time positions, of whom 86% were women.
Vocational schools employed a total of 125,000 teachers in the 2025/206 period, where women also constituted the larger share at 55%. The highest concentrations of male teachers at vocational institutions appeared in full-time basic vocational training year programs at 55% and part-time vocational schools at 53%. Female teachers were particularly prevalent at vocational academies, accounting for 76% of the staff, and at specialized vocational schools with 62%. Educators at vocational schools engaged in full-time employment slightly more often than their counterparts at general-education schools, with roughly 63% working full-time. Among part-time vocational teachers, 75% were female.
Destatis noted that statistics regarding foreign students pertain exclusively to individuals holding solely foreign nationality without German citizenship, while persons holding dual citizenship are counted among German nationals. First-time enrollments cover entry into the first grade rather than preschool programs, and children repeating enrollments are excluded. Methodological guidelines and definitions follow the framework established by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs.
